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W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
. p257 | gross = $17 million | preceded_by = | followed_by = }} W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings is a 1975 American comedy film directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Burt Reynolds, and written by Thomas Rickman. The 20th Century Fox film features the acting debut of Jerry Reed. Plot In 1957, W.W. Bright (Burt Reynolds) is an easygoing crook who robs exclusively gas stations. He meets the Dixie Dancekings, a country music band, while fleeing from a policeman. Dixie (Conny Van Dyke), their singer, finds him to be attractive and gives him an alibi. He claims to be in the music business, and ends up promoting the group. Wayne (Jerry Reed), the band's leader, does not trust him, but the others all have faith in him. W.W. only steals from SOS ("Southland Oil System") gas stations, so the company's chairman sends for Bible-thumping ex-lawman Deacon John Wesley Gore (Art Carney) to track him down. Meanwhile, W.W. and the newly outfitted band go to see Country Bull (Ned Beatty), a highly successful singer-songwriter. He is willing to write them a song for $1000. W.W. talks the Dancekings into a bank robbery (SOS has just expanded into the banking business) that does not work out quite as planned. When Gore broadcasts the description of the getaway car on a radio revival show, W.W. burns up his car. He is ready to separate from the Dancekings in order to shield them, but then he hears them rehearsing Wayne's new song. He persuades Country Bull to listen to it; the man is so impressed, he puts them on the Grand Ole Opry. There Gore catches W.W. using an exact replica of his burnt car as bait. Gore makes him drive to the police department, but just as they arrive, Gore realizes it is now Sunday, so rather than violating the Sabbath, he lets him go. Cast Production Development Burt Reynolds was originally going to make the film with Dick Richards in late 1972.S-s-s-s-s ... It's the Snakes!: It's the Snakes By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 24 Sep 1972: D15. However he dropped it to do The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing.Next for Burt: A C&W Bandleader? Haber, Joyce. Los Angeles Times 21 Jan 1974: e8. He decided to go the film a number of years later. Reynolds signed in January 1974 and filming started February 1974 in Nashville.Reynolds Signs for 'Dixie Dancekings' Los Angeles Times 31 Jan 1974: d8. Reynolds approved John Avildsen on the basis of a recommendation from Jack Lemmon, who had worked with the director on Save the Tiger. John Avildsen says Sylvester Stallone auditioned for a support role. He did not get the job, but the two worked together on the director's next film, Rocky. Reynolds wanted Dolly Parton to play the female lead. She declined but the two would later work together on The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Filming was marked by tension between Reynolds and Avildsen. The two men did not get along professionally or personally and there was often clashes in approach and temperament. "Golden Anniversary" Oldsmobile One of the central props in the movie is the car that W.W. drives. It is known as a special 1955 "Golden Anniversary" Oldsmobile Rocket 88 of which only 50 were purportedly made. It is a four-door sedan painted gold with black hood and side accents, with chrome trim. In reality, there was no such special Olds model, and 1955, in any event, was not the 50th anniversary of Oldsmobile. Three such cars were custom-built for the film from stock 1955 Oldsmobiles."The Way It Was", 1955 Olds Golden Anniversary. Classic & Custom magazine, October 1982. The three movie cars were built at Doug's Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee. One was destroyed in the fire scene, one was taken to a museum, and the third was used as the camera car, with the roof removed. Everyone mentions the third car was sent to California or a museum. Actually Radio Shack in California had a promotional giveaway for that car shortly after the movie was released. The Radio Shack connection is that Burt Reynolds and the Bandit movies created a demand for CB radios which amounted to 30% of Radio Shack's sales during the height of the craze. It has long been rumored that a private individual in Kansas is now in possession of this vehicle. The director John G. Avildsen left Nashville in the spring of 1974 shortly after production wrapped and immediately started preproduction on Rocky, for which he won the Oscar for Best Director in 1976. Reception Critical reception Vincent Canby of The New York Times enjoyed the film: }} Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two stars out of four.Ebert, Roger. W. W. AND THE DIXIE DANCE KINGS. Chicago Sun-Times, January 1, 1975 Box office The film earned North American rentals of $8 million.Solomon p 233"All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 44 It was one of the studio's biggest films of the year.Feature Films Help Fox to 261% Gain in Earnings Delugach, Al. Los Angeles Times25 July 1975: d15. When the film aired on US TV in January 1977 it was the second highest rated show of the week.'Chapman,' 'Smile' Push CBS to Top in Ratings Los Angeles Times6 Jan 1977: f17. Burt Reynolds Reynolds said the film "turned out wrong but it made a lot of money.It was supposed to be a special, warm and lovely little film. It was important that we not make fun of the people in Nashville as opposed to Nashville. It wasn't that kind of movie. It was a bouquet to Nashville. But I got into a lot of fights with the director.Workaholic Burt Reynolds sets up his next task: Light comedy Siskel, Gene. Chicago Tribune 28 Nov 1976: e2. Nonetheless Reynolds liked Jerry Reed's performance so much the actor later used Reed in his first film as director, Gator (1976).Reed plays a heavy, with no strings Hurst, Jack. Chicago Tribune 14 Jan 1976: b3. Legacy Quentin Tarantino credited the novelisation of the film as getting him interested in writing. He bought the novelisation and would read it every few years. Tarantino said in 1995: I found out later that Thomas Rickman was so disgusted with what they did with his movie that he asked to write the novelization, so that one person out there would know what it was that he intended. I'm 40 now, and I still read W. W. and the Dixie Dancekings every three years. I'm that one person. When I saw the movie, though, a few years after I'd first read the book, I was like, What the hell is this? I mean, I was offended. I was literally offended. The novelization was pure. But this was Hollywood garbage. So that's why I started writing screenplays, because I was so outraged. See also * List of American films of 1975 References External links * *[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/94942/W-W-and-the-Dixie-Dancekings/ W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings] at TCMDB * * Category:1975 films Category:1970s crime comedy films Category:20th Century Fox films Category:American films Category:American crime comedy films Category:Country music films Category:English-language films Category:Films scored by Dave Grusin Category:Films about automobiles Category:Films directed by John G. Avildsen Category:Films set in 1957 Category:Films set in Tennessee Category:Films shot in Tennessee Category:American road movies Category:1970s road movies Category:1970s chase films